Pizza Night
Pizza night! Its the highlight of the week here. Ever since my husband and I got married, Friday night has always been pizza night. On the very rare occasion we order in but otherwise pizza night means a piping hot pizza out of the oven with homemade ingredients! Now that we have kids, the tradition is that much stronger because everyone around here loves pizza!
What do you think of when you think of pizza night? Is it ordered in pizza with a movie or a game night? Is pizza night a tradition at your house too?
Pizza doesn’t always have the best reputation when it comes to nutrition. But it can definitely stand out as a nourishing and balanced meal. What you use to prepare and top your pizza are key!
Does making your own dough seem overwhelming? Well, I’m here to tell you that it is pretty easy to pull off and delicious. Of course, buying your dough, ordering in or using a pita as an unconventional pizza crust is totally cool. But if you have a wee bit of time and you want to try it for yourself, making a homemade dough is super simple and tastes way better than store bought and can compete with delivery too.
Best part of pizza at home is that you get to experiment with the toppings and create a delicious and balanced pie. Including a variety of toppings and different food groups can mean that pizza is not only a tasty meal but a nourishing one too.
Toppings!
Get creative! Use different sauces or no sauce at all. Think pesto, tomato sauce or simple olive oil and some herbs and salt. Don’t skip the veggies, they add colour, flavour and texture to your pizza. Try different cheeses, mozzarella is great but a sprinkle of parmesan, feta, goat cheese or havarti could be delicious too. If you like meat, topping your pizza with some pepperoni or grilled chicken is a popular choice but a vegetarian pizza sounds great too. Here are some ideas:
Basil pesto, sliced tomatoes and a sprinkle of feta cheese
Tomato sauce, olives, mushrooms and green pepper with grated mozzarella
Olive oil, rosemary, thinly sliced potatoes, salt and pepper
Sun-dried tomato pesto, grilled chicken, grilled zucchini, mozzarella
Olive oil, salt, pepper, dried oregano, cherry tomatoes and fresh mozzarella
Tomato sauce, kalamata olives, roasted red pepper, basil, mozzarella
Sauteed spinach and onions with feta
Dessert pizza! Bake a crust with no toppings, when its out of the oven, brush with butter and sprinkle cinnamon and touch of sugar on top
Kids can come up with some great pizza combos. Get your hands dirty and make tonight pizza night at your house. Check out our pizza dough recipe below.
Pizza Dough
Makes 2 medium sized, thin crust pizzas
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 tsp instant dry yeast (traditional yeast will work as well, but will need more time to rise)
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/4 cup warm water
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment or grease with oil
In a large bowl, combine flours, yeast and salt. Mix well with a wooden spoon
Then add oil and water. Bring dough together with wooden spoon. If dough is too dry add a few drops of warm water, if dough is sticky add a few teaspoons of flour
Transfer dough to counter and knead until a smooth ball forms
Place dough into oiled bowl and cover with damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap
Allow dough to rise for 30-45 minutes (if using traditional yeast, the dough may need 60-90min to rise). Once risen, punch dough down and transfer to counter
Using a rolling pin, roll out dough to desired size and thickness
Top as desired
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden and bottom of pizza is crisp